Pedestrian coalition deems zebra crossings more urgent than building footbridges

The Pedestrian Coalition believes building safe and easily accessible zebra crossings is more urgent than constructing pedestrian footbridges (JPO), especially on a number of road sections that still lack facilities for pedestrians. “We suggest building a zebra crossing first with a speed bump intervention, for instance, 100 metres before it there is a speed bump. That actually provides a slower warning to motorists so they can slow down,” said Pedestrian Coalition Chairman Alfred Sitorus when contacted in Jakarta on Monday. Alfred said the government should prioritise providing pavements and at-grade crossings if road conditions still allow. According to Alfred, one location that needs attention is the corridor from the Pasar Santa bus stop to Mampang Prapatan, which is still considered to lack proper pavements. “I can only convey to the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta, ‘Sir, the most urgent matter is that from Santa to Mampang there are no pavements.’ So that is the most important thing to find funding for first,” he said. He considers crossing facilities such as zebra crossings and pelican crossings to be more friendly for vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and people with limited mobility, compared to footbridges that require users to climb up and down stairs. “Yes, zebra crossings with pelican crossings are better and more accessible than footbridges,” said Alfred. According to him, the construction of footbridges should be based on a needs assessment, such as traffic volume and road width, rather than being the primary solution for every road section. He added that if footbridges are to be built, the facilities must meet accessibility standards, either through fully operational lifts or ramp access, so they can be used by all community groups. A total of 230 pedestrian footbridge units are under the supervision of the DKI Jakarta Highways Agency. The Pedestrian Coalition also requested that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government audit at least 30 footbridges deemed not to meet technical specifications according to Ministry of Public Works standards to ensure user safety.